NPR Techs Won't Be Silenced
Monday, March 27, 2006(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Broadcast technicians at National Public Radio continue to battle
the contract imposed on them recently by NPR management, reports NABET Local 31.
Thousands of supporters have been flooding NPR with emails in recent
weeks and the effect on management is clear by the defensive auto-email
being sent to campaign participants, which attempts to blame the union. “The
Union remains willing to meet and work things out, but we are fully prepared to
defend our position in every avenue available to us,” reports NABET 31. “Our
cry has been unwavering… Restore the dignity, and let the
engineers/technicians keep their rights to do the work they love.” The local
notes that NPR management “declared unilateral impasse before our members even
finished their vote,” and points out that AFTRA, the union representing
producers, writers, and on-air talent has already succeeded in winning
arbitration against NPR’s attempt to unilaterally implement the NABET-CWA
contract. Go to http://www.nabet31.org/ to
find out more on these issues.